Whisky fans will unite at Sheffield’s Seven Hills Whisky Festival this month.
I love whisky, but up until a few years ago, I didn’t really know much about drams.
What better way to explore the whisky arena and discover my own dream dram, than to attend an event that is a congregation of whisky enthusiasts?
I attended Seven Hills Whisky Festival in Sheffield when it debuted on the events scene in 2024.
Held at The Steamworks and organised by festival founder Dani Hill, Seven Hills Whisky Festival is now regarded as a must-visit event and in the diary of any serious/curious whisky fan.
The beauty of events like these, is that anyone, (over 18 years old) no matter where you are on your whisky journey, can attend.
You can be a total newbie who hasn’t a clue about whisky, or a seasoned enthusiast – whatever your knowledge level, you will feel right at home at Seven Hills Whisky Festival.
Ahead of any event, I look at my notes of the previous year’s coverage, both before and after the event.
I was intrigued to learn more about the festival from behind-the-scenes, which is why you are about to be treated to an exclusive Q&A with whisky festival founder Dani Hill.
From her favourite whisky drink, to how the festival continues to evolve, year-on-year, get to know Dani now.
What can people expect from the festival this year, and how can you top an already stellar event?
Dani: “I think every year we just try to make the festival that little bit better without losing what people already love about it. We don’t want to make it bigger for the sake of it, it’s more about improving the experience and adding more interesting things for people to discover.
“This year we’ve got another brilliant line-up of whisky producers, with a really good mix of the big names people know alongside smaller and independent producers. We’ve also got some fantastic masterclasses, Dream Drams, our Highball Bar, live music, great food and the festival shop with Mitchell’s Wines.
“For me, it’s about it feeling like a really good day out, not just a room full of whisky. We put a lot of thought into the atmosphere, the food, music and little details around the event. We’re completely sold out this year with 700 guests coming across the two sessions, so hopefully that’s a sign we’re doing something right!”
How long does it take to plan the festival, when does all the organising start?
Dani: “It’s pretty much a year-round job! We normally start talking about the following year almost immediately after the festival finishes. There’s always a big debrief while everything is still fresh in our minds, looking at what worked, what we’d change and what we want to add next time.
“The heavier planning really starts in the new year and then it just builds and builds as we get closer. The last few months are definitely the most intense. There are so many moving parts that people probably don’t see, from exhibitors and masterclasses through to glassware, water, tables, stock, food, music, printing, staffing and all the logistics of getting everyone in and out.
“Then as soon as it’s over, we’ll probably have a drink and start talking about next year!”
How do you curate the suppliers for whisky? It must feel like a mammoth task, there are so many good ones.
Dani: “It is a mammoth task, and it gets harder because there are so many brilliant producers we’d love to have! Frankie from Mitchell’s Wines helps me pull it together, I couldn’t do it without her, she’s incredible!
“Mitchell’s Wines run our festival shop and It’s important to us that if someone discovers a whisky they absolutely love, they can buy a bottle on the day rather than just trying it and never finding it again.
“We’ve got brands that have supported Seven Hills for the first two years and have become a real part of the festival, but we also want people to walk in each year and find something they haven’t tried before. So we try to get a really good balance of established names, independent distilleries, interesting newer producers and whisky from different parts of the world.
“Ultimately, Frankie (from Mitchell’s) and I look at the room as a whole. We don’t want 40 stands all offering the same thing. There needs to be enough variety that whether you’ve been drinking whisky for 20 years or you’re completely new to it, there’s loads to discover.”
To strike the right balance of a warm and welcoming atmosphere, for those new to the world of whisky, is no easy feat. How do you manage to do this so well? I have been twice and have always been struck by the lovely, warm welcome.
Dani: “Firstly, thank you, because that’s genuinely one of the nicest things someone can say about the festival.
“From the beginning, I’ve always wanted Seven Hills to feel welcoming and not intimidating. Whisky can sometimes feel like a world where you’re expected to already know what you’re talking about, and I really don’t want that at our festival.
“You absolutely don’t need to know anything about whisky to come. You can ask questions, tell someone you’ve never tried whisky before, add water, have it in a Highball, try something because you like the look of the bottle. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy it.
“I think the exhibitors are a massive part of that too. We want people behind the stands who actually want to talk to guests and share what they love about their whisky, rather than just lecture them about it.
“Then we add the other things that make it feel like an event: live music, good food, somewhere to sit down, Highballs and a really relaxed atmosphere. I want serious whisky lovers to love it, but equally I want someone coming to their first whisky festival to leave thinking, ‘I really enjoyed that, I want to learn more.'”
What is your favourite way to drink whisky?
Dani: “Probably controversially for someone who runs a whisky festival, I love whisky in a cocktail!
“I obviously taste whisky neat, especially when we’re choosing things for the festival, but if I’m actually out having a drink, I’m much more likely to order a really good whisky cocktail or a Highball.
“That’s one of the reasons I really like having the Highball Bar at Seven Hills. It shows another side to whisky and gives people who perhaps don’t think they’re whisky drinkers a completely different way into it. I’m very much of the opinion that you should drink whisky however you enjoy it.”
In addition to Seven Hills Whisky Festival, Dani also organises the Sheffield Cocktail Festival which she “absolutely loves working on”. The cocktail event is set to return to Sheffield in Spring 2027.
Dani said: “The Sheffield Cocktail Festival brings together bars, brands and bartenders, it has a similar ethos to the whisky festival, making great drinks accessible and creating a brilliant day out around them.”
Dani also runs Dancing Dandelion Events which offers full-service event styling and event management specialising in brand activations, corporate events, festivals and immersive experiences across the UK.
The busy festival founder and event management expert added: “No two weeks ever really look the same, which is probably why I enjoy it so much.
“Seven Hills is definitely one of the biggest dates in my calendar though, and by the time September comes around it has pretty much taken over my life!”